Conventional Western or Australian-type saddles generally feature straps located on both sides of a saddle. One side of the straps is connected to the saddle while the other end of the strap is connected to a permanent rigging on the saddle and, in some conventional saddles, have buckles or rings disposed at the ends of the strap. The permanent saddle rigging is configured to receive a saddle latigo strap that is connected to a cinch wrapped along the underside of an animal and connected to a billet for securing the Western or Australian-type saddle to an animal such as a horse or mule.
Traditionally, saddle latigo straps are made of leather or some other suitable material. Conventional saddle latigo strap are often permanently affixed to a ring on a saddle while the ends are attached to a cinch wrapped along the underside of an animal and subsequently tightened and fastened to another ring on the saddle. This allows a saddle to be moved between different animals. Typically, a saddle cinch straps have a buckle and buckle holes that are used to fasten an end of a latigo strap to the back of a saddle.
However, some conventional saddle latigo straps can be difficult to secure when replacing. The original latigo strap typically wears out prior to other parts of the saddle assembly and needs to be replaced. Professionals may need to change a latigo once a year, or more. It is important for a saddle latigo strap to remain securely fastened to the saddle because a loosened latigo strap can result in a saddle shifting or coming loose during use, possibly causing injury to an animal or a rider.
Permanently affixing one end of the saddle latigo strap to a ring can require looping a saddle latigo strap through a ring and securing the saddle latigo strap using thin leather. To properly affix the latigo strap to the ring often requires special tools such as pliers to tighten or thread the leather because the threading is typically bigger than the holes. A sailors knot can attach the saddle latigo to the ring. This process often requires more than one person to manually tighten the thin leather sufficiently so that it does not come loose during use. Even when affixed correctly, the threading can loosen over time. Consequentially, the requisite tools, skill, and strength can make saddle latigo replacement difficult.
Thus, an improved solution for attaching the latigo strap to hardware is needed.